Demonic senses
by Kuscheldrow
Summary: DantexNero Will contain yaoi later on, so if you don't like it, keep off. ; A few months have passed after their last adventure, and Nero just gets bored, noticing that he misses Dante somehow and just HAS to see him again.
1. Second encounter

It was all over. Their enemies had been defeated, and Fortuna, once a city in all its glory laid in wrecks. But after all they had still succeeded. "I guess I should thank you." Nero said, as he walked towards Dante, who was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. "But that'd be out of character," he stated, a light smile on his face, "Maybe you should just throw an insult my way instead." Nero grinned slightly, Yamato leaned against his shoulder in a casual way. "Yeah, that sounds better." He paused, then finally stopped when he reached the elder. "But still, I owe you..."

Dante shook his head. "Don't sweat it, I had my reasons for helping." With that words he turned around, willing to leave, and only turned around another time when he heard Nero's voice again. "Wait! You forgot this!" The boy held Yamato in his hand, offering it for him to grab. "Keep it." Dante said without hesitating. Nero gave him a strange look, almost stunned. "What? I thought this meant a lot to you?" He asked, slowly raising an eyebrow. "That's the only kind of gift worth giving." The elder replied simply. "I want to entrust it to you, and so I am. What you do from here is your call..." Again he turned around, wanting to make his way out of the the broken place that once had been a beautiful town.

Nero looked at the katana in his hand, still not believing that Dante gave it to him in the end. "Hey Dante!" He called, gazing at the other's back. "Will we meet again?" The elder didn't even look back. He just lifted one hand to wave, before he finally left.

Months had passed since that day, and with every more day that followed the urge to see that red coated man again grew bigger and bigger. Nero ha tried his best to forget about all that, but even when the city was build up again he couldn't. He knew that he would never see him again. He had known it since the very moment in which Dante left. But he had to see him again. They were alike each other in a strange way, not even for their appearance. Dante wasn't only human, as well as himself. They both carried demon blood, and who if not Dante should understand him in that point? Sure, he had his friends at that place he called his home, but that wasn't the same. They would never understand him the way Dante could. And then, there was nothing left for him to do anymore. Fortunately the order was annihilated, and no demon ever showed up again. It would be a little too much to say that he was bored, but it was some kind of tedium really.

The boy had heard these rumors recently, featuring a red coated demon hunter with snow-white hair. It could only have been Dante, Nero thought, and finally he got a clue where to start looking for him. He'd been so very excited when those words came to his ear, and he didn't take the time to make up his mind. He just got a few things packed, and then left, telling his friends that he might be away for a while. And right now he stood in one of the cable cars that went around here in masses. He had asked quite a few people, and most of them just gave him a strange smile, telling him to look for a shop called 'Devil May Cry'. A quite eccentric name, he thought, before he started to look around. It had been harder than he expected, so he finally decided to use one of the trams.

He was exhausted from his journey, and longed for nothing more than a warm bed, but before that he just had to meet up with Dante, otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. The weather was really bad compared to his own mood. Rain drummed onto the windows of the tram, making it hard to recognize anything outside, and it was damn cold too. Nero could almost sleep while standing, but then he suddenly jerked. He caught a glimpse of a red neon sign above a door of an quite old looking building. If the rain didn't deceive him, he would bet that it was the one he was looking for. Right at the next request stop the boy jumped out of the vehicle, not caring for the rain that hit his face. He ran a hand through his silvery hair, stroking it back as it became all wet within a few seconds. As fast as he could manage he ran back the way to what he thought would be Dante's shop. Even if he would try to go slow, he'd never be able too, as his excitement took over his mind.

'What a day...' Dante thought when he closed the door to his shop behind him. He was covered in blood, as usual, but more than that, his clothes were all wet. He'd make Lady pay for that for sure! The hunter grumbled when he got rid of his coat, throwing it over the backrest of his chair. "Trish?!" he called, but got no answer. Fine, so she was out, at least something to be happy about. He really needed some time on his own now. Not that this woman lived with him, but she was always around as far as he could tell. Dante made his way to the back of his shop, entering the rooms that belonged to his flat. He climbed up the stairs to his bathroom to have a long and hot shower in order to wash away the sticky demon-blood he was covered with.

He truly felt reborn, when he came out again, a towel loosely wrapped around his hips. He didn't expect another customer for today anyway. And he didn't care for Trish or Lady as well. They would both be clever enough not to show up after sending him to SUCH a mission. Dante wondered what they REALLY planned for him, as the last few hour's had really been a waste of time. Sighing deeply he sank down on his couch, his feet resting on the rear armrest. He crossed his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling with a yawn. He didn't even feel the urge to dress or something. A little nap would just do fine.

Nero sneaked around the corner, finally standing in front of the 'Devil May Cry', totally soaked and shivering of cold. He had been right indeed, that was the place he was looking for. The boy hesitated, then reaching out a hand for the door. Should he really go in? He hadn't even prepared. What the hell should he say anyway? Before he could end his thinking, he noticed that he already opened the door, and now had no other choice but to step inside. Slowly, he looked around. Not only the name was eccentric, the whole interior and furnishing was too. Then he noticed Dante on the couch, who jerked slightly. "What the hell?!" both of them cried at at the same time, then Nero couldn't help it but to chuckle, blushing slightly. He HAD expected to see Dante again, but never with a towel as his only dressing. Quickly he turned his head, when he noticed that he was staring at the other male in a way he wouldn't like either.

"Nero...?" Dante shook his head. "What are you doing here, kid?" Yawning again, he jumped off the couch to grab his still wet coat and put it on. "I..." the boy started, then blushed even more. That was the exact point, WHAT was he doing here? He didn't even know it himself. "I had to see you again..." the words just slipped out of his mouth, without giving him a chance to stop them. Nero pressed a hand over his mouth, turning away. Fuck, that didn't explain anything! Dante smirked. "So you had to see me again, huh? Well you did, so you could as well leave again if that was all you wished for." Nero sighed, chewing his lower lip. "Off course that... isn't all..."

"So?" Dante made a few steps towards the boy, then reached out for his shoulder to face him again. "What is it you came that long way for, then?" He demanded to know, making the boy even more nervous. "Hell I don't know!" Nero blurted out, staring onto the floor in front of him. "Maybe I'm just bored and longed for some fun again!" He didn't dare to look up, but he could hear Dante laugh. "Fun? You could have shown up earlier kid, you could as well have done my job today as it really sucked." Nero clenched his fists. That wasn't funny! He really should have made up his mind before just leaving everything behind only to meet up with that guy again. "Never mind, I'm just a little surprised to see you here. Where did you leave your girl anyway?" Dante mumbled, leaving the shop again to head to the kitchen. "My girl?" Nero called, stopping when he reached the doorway. "Kyrie was her name, no?" The elder prepared some coffee, not caring about Nero staring at his back. Fortunately he couldn't see the boy's face in that moment. Kyrie... "She's not my girl..." he hissed after a while, returning to the shop again.

"Whatever." Dante mumbled when he followed, placing two cups on the table before he sat down on the couch again. "So anything happened since I left?" He asked, gazing at Nero who was standing in front of one of the windows. "Nothing at all..." he replied, before he took a seat next to the elder. "You're really bored, eh?" Dante grinned, sipping on his coffee. "Yeah, maybe..." the boy confirmed, cupping his own mug with both hands. It was still damn cold, and his wet clothes didn't make it better. "Well..." Dante blinked a few times, looking straight at the younger afterwards. "If you're here for longer you might help me a bit, how does that sound to you?" He offered with a wide smile. "You'd let me come with you on your missions?" Nero stared at the other male in pure astonishment. "At least I wouldn't be as bored as today. The ladies tend to let me alone if they feel it could be a waste of time."

Nero swallowed, emptying his cup all at once just to get rid of the thoughts that slipped into his mind. "Ladies...?" he asked, biting his lip right away. What the hell was wrong with him now? He could feel a slight jealousy building up, but that was impossible. He really needed a few hours of sleep, he was getting all mad. "Trish and Lady. You'll get to know them soon enough if you decide to stay." The mere thought of Nero's face, if he'd find out who Trish was made the elder chuckle.

"What's so funny about that?" Nero demanded to know, glancing at Dante pouting. "You'll learn early enough." Dante mumbled, poking him gently when he noticed his pouting. "Now, feel free to take a shower, you're soaked and you look tired. If you don't have a hotel you could as well stay here, i don't care, but be aware that you'll hardly get a minute on your own." He added with a sigh, just shrugging at the boy's questioning look. "Only keep in mind that I warned you."

Nero sighed inwardly. That sounded encouraging. He wasn't sure if he wanted to wait until his questions came to an answer on their own, but otherwise he was far too tired to go and look for a hotel. And in the end he was happy to be with Dante again. He even offered him to help for a while. It couldn't have gone better, no? "What's up? You look brooding kid." Dante's word kicked him back into reality. "What...?" he asked blinking. Did he just say something? "What's it that keeps your mind busy?" The elder wanted to know, but only got Nero's blushing as a reply. "Never mind..." Dante stood up again, taking both their cups. "I'll get us something for dinner, you go and have a shower. If you become ill you won't be of any use to me." He grinned, making his way into the kitchen again. "Charming like always and ever!" Nero snorted as he followed him, looking out for the bathroom. The elder only laughed again. "It's upstairs, first door to the left." He mentioned as if he knew. "Thanks..." The boy climbed up the stairs, truly glad to escape the situation for a moment. Hell, he felt so damn strange!

With the hot water pouring over his body he relaxed again slowly. What was wrong with him anyway? He should be happy to be here, nothing more. But still, there was something going on that he couldn't understand. Nero shook his head. To hell with that. Maybe he just needed something to do at all. It had been some time since he last fought a demon. He was thrilled to feel that incredible power rushing through his veins again. It was almost like some kind of addiction he forgot about for too long. Plus, he had Dante with him this time. A soft smile spread on his lips as he turned off the water to grab another towel, drying himself. His clothes were still wet, so he had to dress up like Dante did before, although it was embarrassing somehow. The towel wrapped around his hips he left the bathroom again, stopping right in front of the kitchen door. The elder turned around when he heard the boy's steps, scanning his body with a sly grin. "You really need some work kid, you're still way too thin." He teased, going on with the food afterwards.

Nero blushed again, wishing for nothing more than to kill that guy! "Yeah yeah..." he growled, sitting down at the table. "I mean it!" Dante murmured with a grin, before he placed a plate in front of him. "At least I didn't look as if I didn't know how to shave properly when we met last time..." the boy scowled, glancing at the plate before him. Pasta, and it didn't look bad though. "That was weak, kid." The elder sat down as well, is lips still curled in an annoying smile. "I don't care..." Nero hissed as he began eating. "Pouting?" Dante's ice blue eyes were settled upon the boy, who only wished to disappear right in place.

They hadn't finished their meal yet, when they heard the door to the Devil May Cry opening again. Only seconds later a woman showed up in the doorway, dark hair falling upon her shoulders, her eyes in two different colors and dressed up in tight with clothes. Nero looked up, then back to Dante who grinned. "Lady..." he said plainly, without even making an attempt to stand up. "I didn't know that you have a visitor. I may come back later if..." the woman started, but the elder didn't let her complete her sentence. "No need to. Would you just give me my payment before I remember how much your stupid job sucked?" Lady giggled. "That was just what you owed me. And Trish said that you deserved it!" She stated, handing over a bunch of dollar notes. "That's all?" Dante sighed desperately as he snatched the money out of her hand. "Trish got the other half." Lady gave him a wide grin, chuckling as she noticed the hunter's red face. "But who's your visitor anyway?" She wanted to know, glaring at Nero as if she could read it from his face. "His visitor's name is Nero, and he's able to speak for himself." The boy growled, his blue eyes narrowing a bit.

""I'm impressed... all me Lady." The woman said, crossing her arms. "So you finally found the right company, no?" Her eyes settled upon Dante again, who took a deep breath in order to calm down again. "As you can see... He's at least less annoying than you two ladies..." the hunter replied, leaning back in his chair. "Thank you, compliments are always appreciated." Lady mumbled ironically, "Anyway... I might have something more lucrative for you within the next days." She added with a wink.

"Forget it!" Dante jumped off his chair. "Ask Trish, I'm NOT going to clean up YOUR mess again!" Lady pretended to sulk. "But the one who asked me offered to pay 5000 Dollar per hour!" Dante's eyes widened, and before he could even think of saying something Nero grinned. "Well do it."

"What?!" the woman scanned the boy with her unequal eyes. "That's nothing a kid should care about!" Nero jumped to his feet, staring at her. "You won't go on calling me a kid too!" He complained, but calmed down again as he felt Dante placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Lady. That's the boy I told you about. He's truly talented." He said, leaving Nero with a weird expression on his face. Since when would the elder admit something like that? Especially towards a third person? "Anyway... I'll be back with more info once I get to know more about it..." the woman sighed. "I don't care HOW you do it, as long as you WILL do it..." With that, she turned around, leaving the males alone again. "Nice girl..." Nero snorted, leaning against the counter. "Isn't she?" Dante chuckled. "She gives me the creeps sometimes too, I told you, you were warned."

"Yeah thanks..." The boy rolled his eyes. "If Trish is just as lovely as she was then I just can't wait to get to know her." The elder looked at Nero, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Not used to dominant women, are you?" He teased, grabbing a bottle of tomato juice out of the fridge. "Very funny..." Nero crossed his arms in front of his chest again. "Oh come on, if I remember that girl that was hanging around with you all the time... She didn't really suit you at all." Dante sat down on the table, almost emptying the bottle all at once. Nero gave a desperate sigh. "I told you that Kyrie is NOT my girl!" It was really annoying. If he had to stand Dante picking on him all the time he would surely prefer a hotel for the nights. "Then why are you sulking like hell then?" The elder smirked. "Dante, stop that now, please!" Nero left the kitchen, returning to the reception, trembling slightly as he noticed how cold it was in the huge room.

Dante followed minutes later, throwing something at him. Nero caught it, recognizing some clothes. "Yours are wet, no?" The elder said simply, sitting down beyond his desk, his feet on top of it as usual. The boy blushed, nodding as he turned around to dress. Dante didn't even look at him, he stared at the ceiling again, wondering if Trish might return today or not. It would suit her if she didn't. Nero glared at the clothes when he was dressed. A pair of black jeans and a blood-red shirt. He was pretty sure that his face had the same color by now. "Looks nice." Dante murmured, when he turned his face towards the boy. "Stop teasing already!" Nero closed his eyes. He was too tired to fight now. "I mean it..." Dante smiled, this time without the slight mockery he used to show towards the boy. "Whatever..." Nero sank down onto the couch, yawning deeply. Dante looked at him and shrugged before he left again, only to come back with a blanket and a pillow a few minutes later. "Make yourself at home, kid." He said, tossing both at him. "Thanks." The younger was even too exhausted to complain about that rude behavior. He placed the pillow under his head, pulling the sheets over his body, until only a tuft of white hair could be seen.

The elder smiled, when he left the boy alone. "Good night, kid." He said, quietly closing the door behind him. Nero hadn't changed much, and so did he, at least he thought so. He'd never show it, but he was glad that they met again. After all it had been a great adventure back then, and if they could only claim a bit of it back, it would be really exciting. Not to mention that he preferred the boy to company him compared to Trish or Lady. He liked the girls, no question, but they both tended to suck sometimes.


	2. Another job

Nero awoke to a familiar voice the next morning, what made him grab his sword, which he had laid down next to the couch just in case, before he sat up quickly, staring at that blond woman who was standing in the middle of the shop. "Dante, I brought buns!" She called, turning around immediately as she caught a glimpse of Nero's movement. "Is that the way you treat a lady?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. The boy blinked a few times, still not fully awake. "Gloria...?!" he gasped, fastening his grip around his sword. "You may know me by that name, yes. But I'd prefer Trish though." She answered with a smile. "And now pot that sowd away, would you? I'm not in the mood for a stupid fight. She sun is shining, the birds are singing and the world is just as peaceful as it could be." Trish grinned, willing to step inside Dante's flat, but the man was quicker. Before she could even open the door he showed up, yawning. "I see you like each other?" He murmured, gazing at Nero's sword. "Seems that way." Trish answered, placing a short kiss onto Dante's cheek, what made the boy narrowing his eyes unwillingly. He shook his head, blushing deeply.

"Why the scowling, Nero?" The elder couldn't have missed that gaze. He smirked, even kissing her back just to see the boy's reaction. Nero blushed even more, pretending not to care about it. "You could have told me that she means more to you than just a friend." He complained sulking, pulling the blanket over his head again. Dante laughed. "Jealous, kid?" He chuckled, while Trish looked at the heap of sheets, where Nero hid underneath with a grin. Dante exchanged a look with her, before he sneaked to the couch, tearing off the comforter all of a sudden. Nero shrieked, while he sat up again, his devilbringer coming to hit whatever was in his way, but the elder was fast enough to catch it before the boy could harm him. "There, there.." he laughed. "I only hope that you don't really think that I'd get laid with a chick that looks like my mother. I'm bad Nero, but that's even too much for me as well." The younger stared at him as if he spoke another language, he didn't get anything at all. "Nd I hope you don't really think that I'd care about that?" He replied, noticeable confused. "You can get laid with whoever you want, that's none of my business..."

Dante nodded. "Everything's fine then, I just needed to point that out, so you know." He said, releasing the boy's hand as he turned around again, snatching the bag of buns out of Trish's hand. "We still have to talk, Trish." He mumbled while he headed into the kitchen. "If it is about yesterday I won't listen honey." Trish stood in the doorway, the sweetest smile on her face that she was capable of. "You got it exactly!" Dante growled, as he prepared their coffee. "Told you, I won't listen." The woman whistled happily. "But you can't always do that to me! I really deserve something better!" Dante complained, without even turning around. "See? I can. And you always say that. No matter what you still complain, so I just don't give a damn anymore." Trish made a few steps, until she was standing right behind the hunter, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You know me, Dante..." she purred, the smile remaining on her lips. "Hey don't look at me like that Trish, that's NOT fair!" He sighed reply, placing 3 cups onto a tablet. "Didn't you just say that I was unfair? So you got it!" The woman laughed again, stepping back again, before Dante could catch her. "You'll like your next job anyway, if what Lady had said is true." Trish called, already in the reception again.

"I'm thrilled..." Dante murmured ironically, entering the room again with the tablet in his hands. Trish's buns and their coffee on it, as well as peanut butter and other stuff people like for breakfast. Nero sat down next to them, carefully observing them, hoping that they wouldn't notice it. But as nobody complained he felt secure. Now and then he looked through one of the windows, but hardly anybody passed by at all. "Nero?!" The boy jerked when Dante poked him. He didn't pay attention to their conversation, so he was rather surprised to hear his name now. "Huh?" He asked, blinking a few times. "I asked if you will ever start eating, or is it enough for you to just stare at your food?" The boy blushed deeply, cursing both of them to hell. "I was..." he started, but the elder just gave him a wink. "You were brooding again, exactly. You should skip that for later on, otherwise you'll starve one day." He teased, giving Nero a lovingly smile. "Yeah Yeah Daddy..." the younger sighed, before he finally started eating. "You're really strange Nero, what's up with you? You're maybe ill because of the nasty weather yesterday?" Dante wanted to know a little worried.

The boy glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. "Me? Ill? I didn't change at all, so I don't know what you mean..." he answered, sipping on his coffee. "If you say so..." Dante reached out a hand to grab the newspaper. He should at least know what's going on outside. Trish leaned over to him, as she could be sure that Dante wouldn't notice it at all, smiling at Nero. "He wouldn't notice a diamond unless it would hurt him somehow." She whispered, giving the younger a wink. The boy's eyes widened again as he gazed back to that woman. What did she mean by that? He could imagine it, but why the hell would she say something like that NOW? What did she think of him anyway?! But he was far too shocked to say at least anything. After non of them broke their silence for about ten further minutes, Dante put the newspaper away, exchanging a look with each, Nero and Trish. "What's up?" He wanted to know, seeming a little irritated.

Trish chuckled. "Never mind, Dante. You'd never notice it anyway, and Nero won't admit it." The younger raised an eyebrow again. "I wouldn't admit... what?!" he asked, having Dante look even more confused. "Yeah what?" The woman just shook her head. "As I told you, forget about that, you're both too stubborn anyway, and I don't like my days being full of your nagging." Dante groaned in disappointment, rolling his eyes as he glanced at Trish. "I love you too, sweetheart." She just replied, taking the newspapers that he abandoned recently. "See Nero? I told you, she gives me the creeps!" Dante yawned again, leaning back against the backrest of his couch, his arms crossed behind his head. "You only get what you deserve, Dante." Trish mumbled from behind the papers, making Nero grin slightly. "Have a problem with dominant women?" Nero asked, giving the elder the sweetest smile that he could force upon his face right now. "I swear I'll make you pay for that, kid." Dante growled, but couldn't hide a weak smile. He should have kept his mouth shut, really! He would not let the boy play with him like Trish and Lady always do. He wouldn't stand a third person killing his nerves one by one. Speaking of the devil, the door to the shop opened again.

Nero couldn't help it but to laugh as he caught a glimpse of Dante's truly desperate face when Lady entered the room. "Oh, you haven't finished breakfast yet, have you?" She asked, following Nero's motioning for her to sit down next to them. "Off course not, you know that Dante can devour the whole world if he only gets the time to do so." Trish said with a happy voice, offering her friend the basket that contained the buns. "Thank you." Lady took one, glancing at Dante with a soft smile. "Such a bad mood today, Dante?" Nero put a hand over his own mouth, in order to stay silent. 'Payback time!' He thought, hearing Dante sigh deeply. "C'mon Lady, Trish picked on me enough for the next two weeks..." he mumbled, emptying his coffee. "Yeah, but SHE doesn't have the info I have." Lady purred, drawing a piece of paper out of her pocket, to move it towards Dante's face, only to pull it back again, when he tried to grab it. "There, there... You do have time, don't you?" She teased, putting it back to where she got it from. "Your mission starts on friday anyway, so you could as well let me finish breakfast first." Lady, as well as Trish chuckled. "Girls..." Dante rolled his eyes. "Never get one if you can avoid it, they're like a couple of crazy chickens when they show up in groups..." he explained, turning towards Nero, who just blushed slightly again. "You only pick the wrong one's I bet..." he said, giving the ladies a cute smile. "You guys just don't know what you're missing." Lady snorted, then made big eyes when Trish whispered something into her ear. "Aha..." she simply muttered, shaking her head. "That explains a lot." She nodded, giving a damn about the questioning looks of the boys. "Remember what I told you, guys?" Trish reminded them, making them both sigh heavily.

They kept silent for a few minutes, then Dante stood up, walking over to his billiard table. "Okay... Let's jsut make a bet...," he suggested, "I f I beat up Lady this time, you'll tell us your sweet little secret, Trish?" The girls just laughed again. "Sure." Trush agreed, hiding a mischievous grin. He would never give up, no? He'd lose anyway, like he always died. Lady got up, grinning widely. "You could have a game more easily, Dante, and without extorting useless promises we wouldn't have to keep anyway." Dante scowled. "You're telling me that I'll lose anyway?" Lady smiled. "Exactly my friend." Nero glared at both of them, then turned around to face Trish. "Are they always like that?" He asked, earning a curt nod. "Hell..." The boy sighed. He wondered who was harder to stand, Dante or the girl.

Lady and Dante had their game, leaving the man with a frustrated expression on his face. "I told you Dante, just give it up, you'll never beat me." Lady giggled, sitting down at the table again. "No risk, no fun..." The elder followed, resting his chin in one hand. "So what about the job now?" Lady hemmed, bringing up the paper again. "Next Friday. You'll have to leave early, so make sure to drag your ass out of bed early enough. You'll have to take the care anyway, it's quite far from here. A friend of a friend called me, asking me if I knew somebody who could take care of that, and I ensured him that you'd be exactly who he was looking for. It's said that people tend to disappear for no reason around a small town a bit from here." The woman explained, having both, Dante as well as Nero listening carefully. "Some kids have recently seen some weird creatures in the woods, and nobody wanted to believe them, you know how adults are. Anyway. When they found a few people wounded, telling similar stories they couldn't ignore it anymore. The chapel of that town holds an ancient artifact. Legends say that it is capable of killing demons by its only touch. It seems that they're after that artifact or something. It may need to be destroyed anyway, I'm not quite sure about that, but someone has to get rid of all the demons or at least needs to find out where they are coming from. Everybody who tried disappeared without even leaving a corpse. The mayor is willing to pay a nice amount if we could help out here." She ended wit a smile.

"You mean if I can help out here, right?" Dante returned the smile. "Well I'm busy with something else, as well as Trish is, but you complained that your last job was all boring, so that might be a little challenge to you, master hunter." Lady chuckled. "Sounds good after all." Dante agreed, paying a short glance at Nero. "What about you kid, you're in? You'll get half of the payment off course." The boy nodded. "Already told you that I was in." He pointed at his sword, red rose. "Fine. So it's settled then." Dante confirmed, taking another cup of coffee. "All right. I'll call the mayor later, telling him that you'll be around soon. Here's a map of that city as well as the surrounding woods, you might need it." Lady handed over the named paper, leaning back in her chair afterwards. "I hope this time I won't hear any complaints after you come back." The elder smirked. "If it's really the challenge that you promise you probably won't."

"I'd appreciate that." Lady said simply, tilting her head to the side. "I hope this time you don't forget that you still owe me some money..." she added, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Naaah..." Dante sighed. "You can have it now anyway." Lady raised an eyebrow. "Business running that well nowadays?" The elder shrugged. "Somehow." He got some dollars out of his pocket, handing them over to the woman. "Wow, I'm truly impressed." Lady said, grabbing the money immediately. "I thought that you'd never pay it back!" Dante pretended to sulk. "Awww come on, I never disappointed you there, did I?" Lady curled her lips. "To be honest... no." Trish stretched out, taking Dante's cup of coffee, as she noticed that the can was empty, sipping on it as if nothing was wrong. Nero grinned, grabbing his own, just in case. Dante just pretended that he didn't see anything. "So it seems like we gonna have a lot of fun over the weekend." He said, placing his feet on the table.

"You really don't have manners, do you?" Trish grimaced. "You know me..." was the curtly answer that she got. "All right, I understand..." she gave the elder a wink, before she stood up, followed by Lady. "See ya on Sunday - hopefully." They said, before they left the Devil May Cry without even saying goodbye. "On Sunday?" Dante turned his head towards the calendar, watching it with raised eyebrows. "Are they going on a holiday or something? It's only Wednesday." Nero shrugged. "Weren't you the one who would be glad to have a few days off from them?" The hunter nodded. "Yeah, you should know why already." The boy sighed lightly. "I do indeed... but... well... Trish... She was Gloria then?" Dante looked up again, grinning widely. "Hah hah, yeah. Nice costume, huh?" Nero blinked. "What the hell did she do in the order anyway?" The elder gained his cup back, which was still halfway filled. "What do you think she did there? Uncovering a few secrets, promising to extradite me to have enough time for doing so." The boy glared at his devilbringer for a moment, then back to Dante. "You could have told me earlier, you know?" The other male shook his head. "How was I supposed to? You were the one trying to kill me all the time without even asking. But never mind, everything' s okay now, isn't it?" The younger nodded. "Yeah, the city's all right again, and the cathedral is now used to praise god himself, no more Sparda..."

Dante grinned. "Fortunately. I didn't like my father being worshipped like a god. I bet it made him turn over in his grave already." Nero sighed. "Must be tough having a father like him, huh?" The elder shook his head. "Not at all. I don't care for that at all. I'm not him, I live my own life, and so make my own decisions, that has nothing to do with my old man." He ran a hand through his silvery hair, his eyes narrowing a bit. "What about you, kid?" Nero bit his lower lip. "Me? I don't know my parents at all. I've been in that order since I can think of." The hunter smirked. "Lucky you that their insanity didn't affect you, otherwise you wouldn't be here today." The younger nodded. "I guess so..."

"So you're still skilled enough to fight demons?" Dante asked with a grin. "Sure, want a sample?" Nero smiled sweetly. "No thanks, the next one that wrecks my shop will die, I swear." The younger pouted. "You're not telling me that it was my fault Fortuna got all ruined?" The hunter laughed. "Not at all.well I hope we'll have some fun out there, sounded good, no?" Nero nodded. "Better than sitting around at home and get bored to hell." Dante placed his legs onto the couch again, relaxing noticeable. "I wonder what the girls are about anyway." The boy rolled his eyes. "Go and as them if you miss them so much." Frowning, Dante shook his head. "Not at all."

They pent their rest of the day forgetting about teasing for once, talking about old times ant things they didn't know until today of what had happened in Fortuna. It was quite relaxing, an Nero somehow felt at home here. He didn't have to hide for what he was anymore, and who if not Dante knew how he felt about that? After all he was luckier, he only looked like an albino with his hair and eyes, but he himself still had that arm. Not that he would complain about it anymore, he had learned to accept it, even using it for his purposes, but it was still better to hide it, where people didn't know him. Especially in areas where demons used to approach. It wouldn't be fun to be mistaken as one of them accidentally. "Brooding again, kid?" Dante smiled warmly. "Me? No..." Nero opened his eyes again, when he noticed that he had closed them long ago. "You looked that way." The elder stated, taking his cue to hit a few balls. He could at least try to practice in order to beat Lady one day. "Naaah... It's just something that keeps me busy."

"Tell me about it?" Dante asked, aiming for the white ball. "Nothing special, really..." The boy answered blushing. "Well, that brooding makes you look really cute, so you may as well go on." Dante mumbled teasingly, giving the younger a light smile. "You're frustrating Dante, you should spend less time with those girls, I tell you..." Nero sighed, crossing his arms on his knees. "I hear that often enough." The elder chuckled, sitting down next to the boy again, as he kicked the black '8' into a hole much too early. "I tend to overhear it anyway as they don't leave me another choice as to bear them." Nero turned towards the elder, smirking slightly. "Its only because you don't speak out what you think, if they knew they'd respect it I bet." The hunter raised an eyebrow. "And it's YOU telling me that? I could have told them long ago, but I just don't want to." Nero shook his head. "Yeah because you're far too lazy. You just let things happen the way they do, without caring, right?"

"What's wrong with it?" Dante asked, crossing his legs. "Wrong? There's nothing wrong with it, but you're truly carefree. You don't seem to be afraid of anything anyway, I just don't get it, that's all." The younger gazed though one of the windows, watching the sun set with a beautiful golden light. "You know, I've been similar to the way you are now, but you'll learn it soon enough. Those of our kind don't need to fear much, but there are still things that I'm afraid of, but I bet nobody knows them, not even Trish or Lady, although Lady knows quite much of me." The elder sighed deeply. Nero blinked thoughtfully. "You're serious? I mean... you always seemed so sure of yourself and well... you didn't even hesitate, no matter what." Dante leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. "There was a time, that taught me acting the way I do today. First it was only myself, not caring for anything, because life had truly lost its worth to me, even if I had never admitted that, and then? Well... I just started to accept my new reality, and it got better, but I already knew that I didn't have much I actually had to fear. And for pain? I guess you get used to it with the time."

Nero listened quietly, surprised that the elder told him anyway. There were a lot of questions popping up in his mind, but he didn't dare to ask them right now. Maybe later, as he just arrived here. Later? He could feel himself blushing again. What did he think how long he could stay after all? At least he hoped that their time wouldn't end up too soon. Dante smiled gently, nuzzling the boy's hair when he stood up again. "Stop brooding, kid." He said, meaning to tease him again, but Nero just returned the smile. "Don't worry, I guess I have to thank you." The hunter laughed. "Oh no, not again, still remember my words?" The younger just laughed as well, nodding. "Oh yeah, every single of it, as if it was yesterday." Dante raised an eyebrow, looking at Nero for a while, then just shrugged. "Then you should know my answer already." He stated, only looking back curtly before he turned around to leave. "Don't stay up too late, we'll have to prepare everything tomorrow, and get going early on Friday..." The boy nodded. "Sure thing." He mumbled, when the door was already closed.


End file.
